Courage
by OnceUponAddicted
Summary: Ruby visits Belle in hospital for the first time after she crosses the boarder... Red Beauty.


Ruby stood at the door of Belle's room and stared at the handle. She'd done this every day since Belle was sent in but never built up the courage to enter. Her feet felt glued to the floor and however long she stood there, it never changed.

"Go in already!" Ruby kicked the door in frustration, which was interfered by a scream from inside the room and something crashing onto the floor.

This made Ruby move. She pushed open the door and ran inside to see a tray on the ground and Belle hiding under her covers. Ruby could hear muttering and slowly closed the door behind her.

"It's okay, nothing's going to happen Belle, he's not allowed to see you anymore." The muttering slowly turned into sobbing and Ruby felt her heart collapse.

"Umm, Belle. I'm Ruby. I'm sorry I scared you but I- I- I just…sorry, I'll go." Ruby went to open the door when the sobbing stopped and the sheets moved.

"No, please!"

She turned and looked at the girl. Her beautiful eyes had tears falling from them and Ruby couldn't help but move closer.

"Is he going to hurt me?"

Ruby couldn't help it; she walked over to the girl and sat on the bed before embracing her in a tight hug. Ruby knew she had made a mistake because Belle was frozen. She pulled back and went to get off the bed before a hand grabbed hers and pulled her back. Belle then wrapped her arms round Ruby's waist and placed her head on Ruby's shoulder. Ruby responded by wrapping her arms round Belle in return. She closed her eyes and they stayed there until Ruby's phone started to ring. Ruby slowly released from Belle but saw the look on the librarian's face. She held out her hand and Belle took it happily before Ruby picked up her phone.

"Ruby, you're late!"

"Oh, sorry Granny. I came to see Belle."

"Are you just standing outside again as usual?"

Ruby blushed, as she knew Belle had heard that.

"No, I came in today."

"Okay, I was going to close in an hour anyway, I'll just close early. Stay as long as you like."

"Thanks Granny"

"Say hey to Belle for me."

"I will, bye."

"Bye"

Ruby ended the call and looked at Belle. She was looking at the intertwined hands and was rubbing Ruby's hand with her own.

"Sorry about that. My Granny says hi and that she hopes you're better."

"I know. I heard." Belle smiled and Ruby pulled her hand away to use both of them to hide her embarrassed face. Ruby heard the girl start to panic when Ruby pulled away her hand. Ruby knew it was mean, but she had to see. She stood up and Belle lunged for her arm.

"No! Don't leave me, please! Don't leave me!" Belle let some tears slip and Ruby sat back on the bed.

"I won't leave until you want me to."

Belle picked up Ruby's hand and Ruby felt the girl move closer to her.

"What did your Granny mean when she said standing outside?"

Ruby gulped before looking at the floor and sighing.

"I…I've been building up the courage to come in for the past week and a half."

"Build up the courage?" Belle let go of Ruby's hand and sat back away from her.

"Were best friends you know? I was scared you wouldn't remember me and that you wouldn't like me as much as you did, but I think I was wrong. I'm sorry for not coming in…"

"You thought I wouldn't want my best friend to come and see me?"

"No, I just didn't know if you would want me to come. I thought you would want and no one to see you bu-"

"You know ? Belle started to shift and moved right up against the pillows of her bed.

"Hey, he won't hurt you. I'll make sure he doesn't okay?"

A loud sound came from behind the wall and Belle quickly launched at Ruby to hug her from behind.

"Umm, it was a nurse dropping something probably. When are you allowed out?"

"To-today actually…"

"Really? Did you want me to show you to your apartment?"

"My what?"

"You're the librarian that lives above the library in the caretakers apartment."

"I am?"

"Yeah. You seriously love books." Ruby giggled and felt Belle tighten her grip around Ruby's arms.

"Can you show me?"

"Yes, of course. Did you want to go now, as its…wow, it's 9:46 already."

Ruby felt Belle nod against her back and she slowly got up to get some spare clothes from a chair.

"Are these yours?"

Belle nodded and stood to follow Ruby.

"I'll go outside while you change-"

"But, I don't want you to go."

Ruby heard the tears in Belle's words and hugged her again.

"I'll only be outside the door okay? I'm not going anywhere."

Ruby slowly walked out of the room and did as she said. She sat a couple of meters to the left of the door and waited. She only had to wait about a minute before Belle opened the door and started to panic. She turned to where Ruby was sitting and ran over to her before encasing her in a hug.

"You're still here."

"Of course I am. Now let's get you to the library."

Belle stayed close to Ruby as they walked through the hospital and they finally got to Ruby's car where Belle had to move away. They got in their sides and stayed in silence for the journey.

When they got there, Ruby opened Belle's door for her and they walked in together.

"Wow"

"I told you you liked books!" Ruby laughed as she put Belle's bag onto the floor.

"Did you want to go to bed? You're tired right?"

Belle nodded and they made their way up to the apartment. When Ruby opened the door, Belle smiled before dropping the five books she had grabbed from the library. The walls had bookshelves full of Belle's favourites and she almost collapsed.

"Oops, should have warned you about those. Did you want to pick one before bed? You could read it to me like I like you to."

"I read to you?"

Ruby blushed and nodded.

"Which one's my favourite?"

"Well, its not Little Red Riding Hood or Beauty and the Beast, I know that one. I know you like Enid Blyton quite a lot."

"Enid Blyton. Okay, what about this?" Belle picked up a Famous Five book and Ruby smiled (she liked those the best).

"Yeah please, that one, that one, that one!"

"Okay, this one it is."

Belle read Ruby a couple of chapters before she started to yawn.

"Looks like you need to go to sleep Belle."

"I think so."

"Alright, I'll be going then-"

"What? No, you can't leave me here on my own!"

"Did you want me to stay over then?"

Belle nodded and patted the space next to her on the double bed. Ruby walked over, took off her jacket and her shirt before picking up the t-shirt she used for bed when she slept at Belle's and then got in.

Belle was blushing and Ruby looked at her confused.

"What?"

"I, umm. You just…uhhh, never mind."

"What?" Ruby realised before also blushing. "Oops. Sorry, I normally change in here and you used to be okay with it, I should of asked."

"Its fine, I just wasn't expecting it."

"Well, you invited me into your bed and asked me to sleep over so what did you expect?" Ruby laughed and Belle smiled before frowning and looking down.

"What's wrong Belle?"

"You going to have to leave at some point aren't you?"

"Well, yes but I'll stay as long as I can. It's Sunday tomorrow so I don't start work until later and then you can just sit in the diner if you like before we come back here."

Belle smiled and laid down facing away from Ruby. Ruby laid facing Belle's back and she felt Belle move into her body. She wrapped her arm round the beautiful girl in her arms before falling asleep.

When Ruby woke up, Belle was still in the same place but was half way through the first Narnia book.

"How can you read this early?"

Belle jumped at the sound of Ruby's voice and shuffled away slightly.

"Hey, I'm not angry alright? It was just a question. You don't have to move away."

Belle turned to face Ruby and she had tear marks on her cheeks.

"What's wrong Belle?"

"I had a dream that you locked me in the library to go and give yourself up to be killed."

"What? You remember that?"

"It happened!"

"Umm, yeah, well…"

"You tied me up to go and die!"

"But I didn't die and I now fully understand what an ass I was. When you got shot…I…I…" Ruby started to cry and she heard Belle move closer to her again. She placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder and then pulled her in for a hug.

When Ruby stopped crying, Belle pushed her back slightly so she could see Ruby's face.

"I don't know what I would do with out you Belle."

"I'm not going anywhere soon so don't you worry."

Ruby watched as Belle started to blush and sat frozen for a minute.

"Oh, fuck it", was all Ruby heard before Belle's soft lips were pressed against her own. Belle started to pull back but Ruby wouldn't let her and licked Belle's bottom lip asking for entry. Belle opened her mouth and Ruby deepened the kiss without second thought. They kissed for a couple of minutes before they pulled away grinning.

"Sorry Ruby"

"For what?"

"I'm sorry I had to forget to finally get the courage to do that when I should of done it before."

"I had to get courage to walk through a door so I think you're good. Wait a sec, did you just refer to before?"

"Let's just say I kissed woman's best friend"

"You remember!" Ruby leaped at Belle and they both fell into another kiss before pulling away. "Cheesy joke by the way."

"Oh I know, you know you like my bad jokes."

"I definitely prefer the way you kiss me though."

Ruby and Belle looked each other in the eyes.

In unison, their voices said, "I love you". Both girls stared at each other with grins on their faces before they started to kiss again.


End file.
